President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov gave an interview to the Chinese journalists, the correspondents of the Xinhua News Agency, the newspapers Remin Ribao and Guangming Ribao and the China International Radio who had specially arrived in Ashgabat before his state visit to the People’s Republic of China. Below is the text of the interview of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
Chen Zhixin (Remin Ribao):
- Mr. President, allow me on behalf of a large Chinese audience to congratulate you on the 20th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s independence and wished prosperity to the Turkmen people and ask you some questions. Please, tell about the foreign policy priorities of modern Turkmenistan and the progress of Turkmen-Chinese relations in this context.
- Thank you very much for your congratulations. I’ll begin my answer to your question with the last part – relations between the Turkmen and Chinese peoples dating back to the remote past. Even in 49 BC the ancestors of the Turkmen people Hun (they were called Syun in China and Gun in Europe, as you know) concluded the so-called ‘Sacramental Contract’ with a sovereign of the Celestial which regulated relations between the two powerful nations.
This ‘Contract’ not only confirmed that henceforth the dynasties of Han and Hun are the one family and should never attack each other, but also included a message to the future generations: “Let our sons and grandsons will be faithful to this oath from generation to generation.” That was prescribed by this ‘Sacramental Contract’.
Modern historians who studied ancient manuscripts and written documents arrived at the conclusion that diplomatic experience of other states, including ancient China, was applied in international activities of the Turkmen people in the early historical period. One of the prominent scientists wrote that about a dozen of Chinese delegations visited our country each year.
So, while one of these delegations sent by Chinese Emperor Wu-ti to our land was travelling to Parthia, one of the most powerful states founded by Turkmen people in ancient times, the cavalry of 20,000 horsemen was waiting by order of the Parthian ruler for the Chinese guests on the border. And this huge array of horsemen ceremoniously accompanied the Chinese envoys along the way showing high respect for diplomats from the Celestial Empire.
The Great Silk Road that connected East and West even in extreme antiquity and bound them with economic and political ties significantly strengthened Turkmen-Chinese relations. The main parts on this route were sections which crossed the territory of Turkmenistan with the stops in large and flourishing cities such as Merv (present day Mary), Amul (present day Turkmenabat), Nisa and others.
Much can be told about the very enthralling and instructive history of friendship and cooperation between our two peoples, but you, I’m sure, will agree that the present stage of Turkmen-Chinese relations is no less interesting and instructive. Before talking about the present stage of cooperation between our countries, I would like to brief you on the foreign policy strategy of the Turkmen state that our interstate relations are successfully developed within.
- Yes, please, Mr. President, it is one of the questions our readers ask most frequently.
- As you know, we chose the model we refer to as positive neutrality as a general line in foreign policy and formulate its fundamental assumptions as follows: peacefulness, non-interference in the affairs of other states, the respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-alliance with international military organisations and treaties. Neutrality has become the optimal model for the implementation of these plans and goals, the form that the content of the Turkmen foreign policy is built in most harmoniously and naturally.
Nowadays Turkmenistan lives in peace and harmony with all nations in the region and the world. We boost full-scale integration in the modern main trends. Goal-oriented measures are being taken in the country to develop a number of sectors oriented towards Turkmenistan’s full involvement in international relations in order to use our geopolitical, economic, resource and human potential and place the country among states with the high life quality, dynamic economic growth, stable and effective relations with the external world. It is the purport of Turkmenistan’s policy of international cooperation opening up new opportunities to promote each of its major aspects such as the foreign policy, economic, cultural and humanitarian, scientific and educational spheres.
Today our country’s national interests are marked out at regional, continental and global levels. Present-day Turkmenistan has a clearly defined strategy for international affairs and takes its stand on such critical issues on the global agenda as maintenance and strengthening of global peace and security, disarmament, counteraction to new threats and challenges, promotion and protection of human rights, environment, food security, mitigation of the effects of the financial and economic crisis, promotion of science, culture and education. Turkmen diplomacy has significantly strengthened its collaboration with international organisations in a variety of fields, and its representatives are regular participants to major forums and other forms of multilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues.
The scope and aspects of cooperation of Turkmenistan have been significantly expanded at the bilateral level, and it develops a dialogue on all geographic azimuths. The Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East is in our field of view. A dialogue with a number of leading and economically strong states in the Arab world and Latin America has been established in recent years along with the development of cooperation with traditional partners of Turkmenistan. Turkmen foreign policy is acquiring more clearly global thinking based on the compatibility of its own long-term interests with the contemporary trends in global development. Expansion and diversity of Turkmenistan’s foreign relations facilitate diversification of international economic, trade and investment cooperation of our country.
Jingli Lu (Xinhua News Agency):
- Mr President, given realistic geopolitical and resource advantages Turkmenistan promotes diversification of energy transit as a strategic foreign policy priority. Please, tell a few words about it.
- Yes, that is really true. Pursuing the strategy for diversifying energy transit and developing multi-option pipeline infrastructure, our country has implemented two new ambitious projects to transit energy to world markets: the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline and the second branch of the Turkmenistan-Iran gas pipeline along with the traditional routes. Another large-scale energy project of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline is at the final stage of preparation, and the projects towards Europe are being actively negotiated.
All of our achievements in this sphere and successful joint international projects are conditioned to a larger extent by neutrality of Turkmenistan. We have never politicized and are not politicizing economic cooperation. And this fact finds due understanding and highly valued by our partners and allows us to develop equal and mutually beneficial relations with different countries and companies. We as a neutral state can form our long-term foreign policy using the clear and coherent principles which evolve from our international status.
Close, multifaceted cooperation with the United Nations Organisation still remains a strategic priority for Turkmenistan. The United Nations for us is not just the most authoritative international structure. We view it as the pillar of the entire modern system of global cooperation, a guarantor of maintaining and enhancing peace and balance of interests in the world arena, sustainability of existing architecture of security. We firmly believe that today, against the backdrop of new global realities, the lofty humanitarian ideals, the principles of the UN Charter continues to be the moral and legal foundations for the world order.
I would like to emphasize that in the future we will remain committed to peace and continue to promote our policy that I formulated speaking at the sixty-sixth Session of UN General Assembly as Peace through development.
Chunyu Zhang (Guangming Ribao):
- Thank you very much for your, Mr. President, detailed answer, and now let me ask you about the present stage of our bilateral relations.
- Our relations with China are collaboration between the two friendly nations who have the common intention to strengthen multifaceted cooperation in all spheres, political, economic, cultural and humanitarian. We are building cooperation with China on a long-term, strategic basis. The content of the Turkmen-Chinese relations is based today on complete mutual understanding of the views on priorities and perspectives of bilateral cooperation as well as the trends of global development.
In this regard a critical factor is the similarity or coincidence of our approaches to ensuring global stability and security, combating terrorism, extremism and separatism. Together with China we advocate equality and justice in international affairs and achievement of the sustainable development goals and support international efforts to effectively respond to global challenges.
Our country valued China’s respect for the status of neutrality of Turkmenistan and the foreign policy based on it. Turkmenistan stands firmly for the territorial integrity of China that pursues the One-China policy and supports Chinese peaceful reunification and peaceful development.
Turkmen-Chinese trade and economic contacts have been intensified in recent years. Bilateral trade demonstrates the steady annual growth. Suffice it to say that in 2011 China has become the largest trade partner of Turkmenistan. Foreign trade turnover between Turkmenistan and China has amounted to US$ 3.564,94 billion for nine months of the current year.
As of today, 37 enterprises with the share of Chinese capital have been registered and operate in Turkmenistan, 66 investment projects worth US$ 4.438 billion and 2.328 billion Chinese yuan have been registered.
Today Turkmenistan and China foster cooperation in such fields as the fuel and energy, trade, investment, transportation, communication, chemical, agricultural, medical and high tech sectors.
Delu Wang (China International Radio):
- Mr President, though our interstate collaboration is multifaceted the fuel and energy sector is still one of the priority fields of Turkmen-Chinese cooperation.
- Yes, you are right. One of priority areas of our interstate cooperation is the fuel and energy sector. The Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline the longest one on the continent was put into operation in December 2009. This is an outstanding event. This project is of strategic importance for the sides, meets long-term interests of Turkmenistan and China and the logic of global economic development in which energy transit plays an increasing role.
In this sense, the implementation of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline project is an illustration of true partnership based on equality, mutual awareness of the benefits and prospective vision of the prospects and opportunities that are opened up by the practical implementation of this project. Together with our Chinese partners we are working today toward further increase in Turkmen natural gas supplies to China given the growing energy demand of the Chinese economy and Turkmenistan’s profound resource potential.
Turkmenistan views China as not just a big and great country, a world’s economic and industrial power, a vast and promising market. It is our dependable and trustworthy friend. Our relations today are long-term and strategic. They have passed the test of time and proved to be effective and serve today as a major factor for stability and development in Eurasia.
Chen Zhixin (Remin Ribao):
- Mr. President, in recent years the outstanding progress has been made under your wise leadership in Turkmenistan in building the state and developing the national economy that attracts the attention of the international community. How do you see the long-term plans for development of Turkmenistan?
- I see Turkmenistan in the future as a highly developed information society. The state that is able to fulfil complex tasks and respond to modern challenges. It will be an industrialized country with the developed agro-industrial sector, advanced science and unique national culture.
Though our country has made an unprecedented breakthrough for 20 years of independent development and turned from a once backward region into a modern developed nation, we still have much work to do. And this is what I talked about during the Elders’ Council meeting which took place before the celebrations in honour of the 20th anniversary of Independence of our Motherland.
The primary task is to transform Turkmenistan from an agrarian country in an industrialized and powerful state. To fulfil this task we will not only build new plants and factories throughout the country, but also construct giant industrial full complexes equipped advanced technologies. To do it we need to bring up a generation of specialists of the new formation who is able to use latest technologies.
In the future the state will apply every effort to ensure that our abundant natural wealth will work at maximum efficiency to guarantee the high quality of life to our citizens. We will take the necessary measures to ensure that the industry and agro-industrial sector will not supply raw materials to foreign markets but process domestically manufactured products. In addition to export of ‘blue fuel’ to largest world markets the fuel and energy sector will specialize in deep hydrocarbon processing and produce is high quality products in great demand all over the world.
Our people will continue beautifying their land. If before we have developed our cities and villages, beautified them building new apartment houses stadiums, museums, hospitals and other facilities, in the near future taking account of industrialization of the country and the growth of the agro-industrial sector we will start to built new modern towns which will spring up in once desert areas. The Turkmen people deserve a life like this. This is within the power of the people. And they are able to put all our plans in place.
Jingli Lu (Xinhua News Agency):
-Everyone knows that you, esteemed Mr. President, manage many affairs of state. Please, tell what you do in your leisure time, what hobbies you have?
- What do I do in my leisure time? My answer is simple and clear – I don’t have it. My hobbies are research, writing, sports, reading books. Also I am fond of arts, write poems about the Motherland, the achievements of the people, the beautiful nature of our country, play various musical instruments and, as I said, I love to read books. By the way, there are very instructive Chinese editions among the books that I like to reread.
Chunyu Zhang (Guangming Ribao):
– Your works are known well in our country thanks to the translation in Chinese. The most recent of them are Medicinal Herbs of Turkmenistan, the Flight of the Winged Horses and Turkmenistan is the Land of Healing, on what scientific and literary papers you are working on now?
- I have been working on my recent works, The Living Legend and The Good Name is Imperishable, for a long time and with great pleasure. It would be better if you would learn about the books that I am working on now after I finish them.
Delu Wang (China International Radio):
– Esteemed Mr. President, China is looking forward to your state visit. What whishes would you like to express to the Chinese people via mass media?
– What wishes can I express to the people of great China? I’ve already talked about the ambitious gas pipeline project implemented by our countries which supplies warmth and light of the Turkmen land to our Chinese brothers. The locality that this pipeline starts from is called Bagtyyarlyk which means bringing happiness. Boundless happiness! That is what I want to wish to our Chinese friends, and continued prosperity to your great country.
* * *
And as is stated in the agreement on eternal friendship which our ancestors concluded: “Let our sons and grandsons be faithful to the oath from generation to generation!”
Chen Zhixin (Remin Ribao):
- Mr. President, allow me on behalf of a large Chinese audience to congratulate you on the 20th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s independence and wished prosperity to the Turkmen people and ask you some questions. Please, tell about the foreign policy priorities of modern Turkmenistan and the progress of Turkmen-Chinese relations in this context.
- Thank you very much for your congratulations. I’ll begin my answer to your question with the last part – relations between the Turkmen and Chinese peoples dating back to the remote past. Even in 49 BC the ancestors of the Turkmen people Hun (they were called Syun in China and Gun in Europe, as you know) concluded the so-called ‘Sacramental Contract’ with a sovereign of the Celestial which regulated relations between the two powerful nations.
This ‘Contract’ not only confirmed that henceforth the dynasties of Han and Hun are the one family and should never attack each other, but also included a message to the future generations: “Let our sons and grandsons will be faithful to this oath from generation to generation.” That was prescribed by this ‘Sacramental Contract’.
Modern historians who studied ancient manuscripts and written documents arrived at the conclusion that diplomatic experience of other states, including ancient China, was applied in international activities of the Turkmen people in the early historical period. One of the prominent scientists wrote that about a dozen of Chinese delegations visited our country each year.
So, while one of these delegations sent by Chinese Emperor Wu-ti to our land was travelling to Parthia, one of the most powerful states founded by Turkmen people in ancient times, the cavalry of 20,000 horsemen was waiting by order of the Parthian ruler for the Chinese guests on the border. And this huge array of horsemen ceremoniously accompanied the Chinese envoys along the way showing high respect for diplomats from the Celestial Empire.
The Great Silk Road that connected East and West even in extreme antiquity and bound them with economic and political ties significantly strengthened Turkmen-Chinese relations. The main parts on this route were sections which crossed the territory of Turkmenistan with the stops in large and flourishing cities such as Merv (present day Mary), Amul (present day Turkmenabat), Nisa and others.
Much can be told about the very enthralling and instructive history of friendship and cooperation between our two peoples, but you, I’m sure, will agree that the present stage of Turkmen-Chinese relations is no less interesting and instructive. Before talking about the present stage of cooperation between our countries, I would like to brief you on the foreign policy strategy of the Turkmen state that our interstate relations are successfully developed within.
- Yes, please, Mr. President, it is one of the questions our readers ask most frequently.
- As you know, we chose the model we refer to as positive neutrality as a general line in foreign policy and formulate its fundamental assumptions as follows: peacefulness, non-interference in the affairs of other states, the respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-alliance with international military organisations and treaties. Neutrality has become the optimal model for the implementation of these plans and goals, the form that the content of the Turkmen foreign policy is built in most harmoniously and naturally.
Nowadays Turkmenistan lives in peace and harmony with all nations in the region and the world. We boost full-scale integration in the modern main trends. Goal-oriented measures are being taken in the country to develop a number of sectors oriented towards Turkmenistan’s full involvement in international relations in order to use our geopolitical, economic, resource and human potential and place the country among states with the high life quality, dynamic economic growth, stable and effective relations with the external world. It is the purport of Turkmenistan’s policy of international cooperation opening up new opportunities to promote each of its major aspects such as the foreign policy, economic, cultural and humanitarian, scientific and educational spheres.
Today our country’s national interests are marked out at regional, continental and global levels. Present-day Turkmenistan has a clearly defined strategy for international affairs and takes its stand on such critical issues on the global agenda as maintenance and strengthening of global peace and security, disarmament, counteraction to new threats and challenges, promotion and protection of human rights, environment, food security, mitigation of the effects of the financial and economic crisis, promotion of science, culture and education. Turkmen diplomacy has significantly strengthened its collaboration with international organisations in a variety of fields, and its representatives are regular participants to major forums and other forms of multilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues.
The scope and aspects of cooperation of Turkmenistan have been significantly expanded at the bilateral level, and it develops a dialogue on all geographic azimuths. The Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East is in our field of view. A dialogue with a number of leading and economically strong states in the Arab world and Latin America has been established in recent years along with the development of cooperation with traditional partners of Turkmenistan. Turkmen foreign policy is acquiring more clearly global thinking based on the compatibility of its own long-term interests with the contemporary trends in global development. Expansion and diversity of Turkmenistan’s foreign relations facilitate diversification of international economic, trade and investment cooperation of our country.
Jingli Lu (Xinhua News Agency):
- Mr President, given realistic geopolitical and resource advantages Turkmenistan promotes diversification of energy transit as a strategic foreign policy priority. Please, tell a few words about it.
- Yes, that is really true. Pursuing the strategy for diversifying energy transit and developing multi-option pipeline infrastructure, our country has implemented two new ambitious projects to transit energy to world markets: the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline and the second branch of the Turkmenistan-Iran gas pipeline along with the traditional routes. Another large-scale energy project of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline is at the final stage of preparation, and the projects towards Europe are being actively negotiated.
All of our achievements in this sphere and successful joint international projects are conditioned to a larger extent by neutrality of Turkmenistan. We have never politicized and are not politicizing economic cooperation. And this fact finds due understanding and highly valued by our partners and allows us to develop equal and mutually beneficial relations with different countries and companies. We as a neutral state can form our long-term foreign policy using the clear and coherent principles which evolve from our international status.
Close, multifaceted cooperation with the United Nations Organisation still remains a strategic priority for Turkmenistan. The United Nations for us is not just the most authoritative international structure. We view it as the pillar of the entire modern system of global cooperation, a guarantor of maintaining and enhancing peace and balance of interests in the world arena, sustainability of existing architecture of security. We firmly believe that today, against the backdrop of new global realities, the lofty humanitarian ideals, the principles of the UN Charter continues to be the moral and legal foundations for the world order.
I would like to emphasize that in the future we will remain committed to peace and continue to promote our policy that I formulated speaking at the sixty-sixth Session of UN General Assembly as Peace through development.
Chunyu Zhang (Guangming Ribao):
- Thank you very much for your, Mr. President, detailed answer, and now let me ask you about the present stage of our bilateral relations.
- Our relations with China are collaboration between the two friendly nations who have the common intention to strengthen multifaceted cooperation in all spheres, political, economic, cultural and humanitarian. We are building cooperation with China on a long-term, strategic basis. The content of the Turkmen-Chinese relations is based today on complete mutual understanding of the views on priorities and perspectives of bilateral cooperation as well as the trends of global development.
In this regard a critical factor is the similarity or coincidence of our approaches to ensuring global stability and security, combating terrorism, extremism and separatism. Together with China we advocate equality and justice in international affairs and achievement of the sustainable development goals and support international efforts to effectively respond to global challenges.
Our country valued China’s respect for the status of neutrality of Turkmenistan and the foreign policy based on it. Turkmenistan stands firmly for the territorial integrity of China that pursues the One-China policy and supports Chinese peaceful reunification and peaceful development.
Turkmen-Chinese trade and economic contacts have been intensified in recent years. Bilateral trade demonstrates the steady annual growth. Suffice it to say that in 2011 China has become the largest trade partner of Turkmenistan. Foreign trade turnover between Turkmenistan and China has amounted to US$ 3.564,94 billion for nine months of the current year.
As of today, 37 enterprises with the share of Chinese capital have been registered and operate in Turkmenistan, 66 investment projects worth US$ 4.438 billion and 2.328 billion Chinese yuan have been registered.
Today Turkmenistan and China foster cooperation in such fields as the fuel and energy, trade, investment, transportation, communication, chemical, agricultural, medical and high tech sectors.
Delu Wang (China International Radio):
- Mr President, though our interstate collaboration is multifaceted the fuel and energy sector is still one of the priority fields of Turkmen-Chinese cooperation.
- Yes, you are right. One of priority areas of our interstate cooperation is the fuel and energy sector. The Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline the longest one on the continent was put into operation in December 2009. This is an outstanding event. This project is of strategic importance for the sides, meets long-term interests of Turkmenistan and China and the logic of global economic development in which energy transit plays an increasing role.
In this sense, the implementation of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline project is an illustration of true partnership based on equality, mutual awareness of the benefits and prospective vision of the prospects and opportunities that are opened up by the practical implementation of this project. Together with our Chinese partners we are working today toward further increase in Turkmen natural gas supplies to China given the growing energy demand of the Chinese economy and Turkmenistan’s profound resource potential.
Turkmenistan views China as not just a big and great country, a world’s economic and industrial power, a vast and promising market. It is our dependable and trustworthy friend. Our relations today are long-term and strategic. They have passed the test of time and proved to be effective and serve today as a major factor for stability and development in Eurasia.
Chen Zhixin (Remin Ribao):
- Mr. President, in recent years the outstanding progress has been made under your wise leadership in Turkmenistan in building the state and developing the national economy that attracts the attention of the international community. How do you see the long-term plans for development of Turkmenistan?
- I see Turkmenistan in the future as a highly developed information society. The state that is able to fulfil complex tasks and respond to modern challenges. It will be an industrialized country with the developed agro-industrial sector, advanced science and unique national culture.
Though our country has made an unprecedented breakthrough for 20 years of independent development and turned from a once backward region into a modern developed nation, we still have much work to do. And this is what I talked about during the Elders’ Council meeting which took place before the celebrations in honour of the 20th anniversary of Independence of our Motherland.
The primary task is to transform Turkmenistan from an agrarian country in an industrialized and powerful state. To fulfil this task we will not only build new plants and factories throughout the country, but also construct giant industrial full complexes equipped advanced technologies. To do it we need to bring up a generation of specialists of the new formation who is able to use latest technologies.
In the future the state will apply every effort to ensure that our abundant natural wealth will work at maximum efficiency to guarantee the high quality of life to our citizens. We will take the necessary measures to ensure that the industry and agro-industrial sector will not supply raw materials to foreign markets but process domestically manufactured products. In addition to export of ‘blue fuel’ to largest world markets the fuel and energy sector will specialize in deep hydrocarbon processing and produce is high quality products in great demand all over the world.
Our people will continue beautifying their land. If before we have developed our cities and villages, beautified them building new apartment houses stadiums, museums, hospitals and other facilities, in the near future taking account of industrialization of the country and the growth of the agro-industrial sector we will start to built new modern towns which will spring up in once desert areas. The Turkmen people deserve a life like this. This is within the power of the people. And they are able to put all our plans in place.
Jingli Lu (Xinhua News Agency):
-Everyone knows that you, esteemed Mr. President, manage many affairs of state. Please, tell what you do in your leisure time, what hobbies you have?
- What do I do in my leisure time? My answer is simple and clear – I don’t have it. My hobbies are research, writing, sports, reading books. Also I am fond of arts, write poems about the Motherland, the achievements of the people, the beautiful nature of our country, play various musical instruments and, as I said, I love to read books. By the way, there are very instructive Chinese editions among the books that I like to reread.
Chunyu Zhang (Guangming Ribao):
– Your works are known well in our country thanks to the translation in Chinese. The most recent of them are Medicinal Herbs of Turkmenistan, the Flight of the Winged Horses and Turkmenistan is the Land of Healing, on what scientific and literary papers you are working on now?
- I have been working on my recent works, The Living Legend and The Good Name is Imperishable, for a long time and with great pleasure. It would be better if you would learn about the books that I am working on now after I finish them.
Delu Wang (China International Radio):
– Esteemed Mr. President, China is looking forward to your state visit. What whishes would you like to express to the Chinese people via mass media?
– What wishes can I express to the people of great China? I’ve already talked about the ambitious gas pipeline project implemented by our countries which supplies warmth and light of the Turkmen land to our Chinese brothers. The locality that this pipeline starts from is called Bagtyyarlyk which means bringing happiness. Boundless happiness! That is what I want to wish to our Chinese friends, and continued prosperity to your great country.
And as is stated in the agreement on eternal friendship which our ancestors concluded: “Let our sons and grandsons be faithful to the oath from generation to generation!”